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When did demotic script begin to replace hieratic writing in Egypt?
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hieroglyphic writing
Hieroglyphics on a temple wall at Karnak, Egypt.
The demotic script began to replace hieratic writing during the reign of Psamtik I, which spanned from 664 to 610 BCE.1
While hieratic had served as the primary cursive method for administrative and literary purposes throughout the pharaonic period, demotic was developed specifically for government office use at the beginning of the 26th dynasty, around 660 BCE. By the 5th century BCE, demotic had become the standard for business and literary documents across Egypt, though hieratic continued to be utilized for religious texts.231